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Getting the flu vaccine is important for everyone 6 months and older, but pregnant women are especially vulnerable and should make getting the shot a priority, experts say.

Is it safe to get a flu shot during pregnancy? Yes, the flu vaccine is safe for pregnant women. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American College of Nurse Midwives all recommend that pregnant women get vaccinated during the flu season.

The CDC has reported an increase in the number of pregnant women in the United States who had received a flu shot in recent years – a heartening sign after the devastating H1N1 pandemic in 2009, when 9 percent of H1N1 hospitalizations were pregnant women.

“It was a wake-up call to all of us,” says Anne Shuchat, MD, assistant surgeon general and director for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC. “But now we’ve really changed the social norm when it comes to the flu shot and pregnant moms.”

That pandemic hit pregnant women pretty hard. We found young, healthy women without any other medical problems, once they got H1N1 they did poorly. The prior flu pandemics were years and years before, so we didn’t have much to draw on. We found there were a lot of hospitalizations of pregnant women with severe respiratory infections, and it was something we were not prepared for because it hit women in all different trimesters. There were also multiple ICU admissions, and maternal deaths of women who were previously young and healthy. It was really shocking. There were also a number of preterm deliveries, as the flu and fever can precipitate labor. It was a real wake-up call for ob-gyns as well as pregnant women that this is a really serious illness.

When a mom-to-be gets vaccinated, it's not only protecting her from the flu, it will also pass along helpful antibodies.

Why were vaccination rates among pregnant women lower before the H1N1 pandemic?

People just weren’t used to thinking about it or getting it. Pregnant women barely want to take Tylenol, and now we’re telling them to get a flu shot. A lot of women weren’t following the recommendation even though the safety data on the shot was excellent before the outbreak. It doesn’t increase the risk for birth defects or miscarriage. It doesn’t increase the risk for anything really in pregnancy.

What does the flu shot do for a pregnant woman and her baby?

We have good data that when the mom gets vaccinated, it’s not only protecting her from the flu, but the antibodies that develop against the flu transfer across the placenta to the baby. That way they’re somewhat protected during those first six months of life when they can’t get a flu shot.

Why does the flu affect pregnant women so significantly?

We’re not exactly sure why, but there’s always been a question of whether or not the immune system changes during pregnancy. There’s also the fact that the lungs don’t have enough room to take a full deep breath because the diaphragm is pushed up, so that could also be playing a role in the respiratory symptoms.

If you do get symptoms, whether you’ve had the shot or not (as the shot doesn’t protect 100 percent), the most important thing is early treatment. You shouldn’t sit at home with a cough and fever. Pick up the phone and call your doctor. Taking Tamiflu (an antiviral used to treat the flu) is safe in pregnancy.

Why do you think the vaccination rate among pregnant women is going up?

A lot more ob-gyn offices are offering the flu vaccine right in their practice, and I think that’s the biggest reason for higher rates. When we look at the factors that translate into better vaccination rates, it’s a doctor recommendation and offering the shot in the office. Also more and more people understand that it’s the best way to prevent the flu, and doctors understand how important it is for pregnant women to not get the flu. The biggest stumbling block a few years ago was safety, but there’s so much data out there about the safeness of the flu vaccine that people are feeling more comfortable getting it. The flu shot is safe for both mom and baby, and the data shows that.

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